


six times Ted realized he was in love with Charlotte and the one time he told her

by arcanesupernova



Category: Hatchetfield Universe - Team StarKid
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29898957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcanesupernova/pseuds/arcanesupernova
Summary: Ted loves Charlotte pass it on
Relationships: Charlotte/Ted Spankoffski
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	six times Ted realized he was in love with Charlotte and the one time he told her

When Ted suggested a movie night to precede their usual after hours antics, he didn’t quite expect the movie he chose to traumatize Charlotte so much. It was a classic horror movie, something he had experience with in the past enough to know it was a surefire path into a woman’s pants. Not Charlotte, apparently, because the credits were rolling and Charlotte looked like she was going to cry.

“That was horrible, Ted,” she whimpered, “Why on Earth would you make me watch something like that?”

“W-What do you mean? It was cheesy as hell!”

“There was nothing cheesy about all that blood.” Charlotte looked like she was going to be sick.

“Hey, it’s okay, it was just a movie. If you didn’t like it, why didn’t you say something?” he asked, trying to be as gentle as possible.

“I didn’t want to be rude, Ted,” Charlotte chastised him, “Not everyone needs to point out every problem in the movies someone else chose to watch.”

“Yeah, but if you’re scared, you can say something,” Ted sighed. “Do you just want to go to bed?”

“Everytime I close my eyes I see those guts pouring out of that poor girl’s stomach,” Charlotte said blankly, staring at the space just above the TV.

“Come on, Charlotte, let’s just go to bed,” he insisted, standing up and offering her his hand. 

“Maybe I should just go home,” Charlotte suggested, throwing a fearful look over to the window.

“You’re terrified and you want to just go home to your empty house?” Ted laughed, “It’ll be alright, Char, I’ll stay up all night to protect you, alright?”

She considered for a moment, before looking up at him,“You promise, Ted? You’re not going to fall asleep, no matter what?”

“I mean, I have work tomorrow but I can do it with no sleep if it means you’ll get some.”

Charlotte reluctantly took his hand and followed him to his bedroom, cautiously checking all of her corners. Ted had to check the bathroom before she went in to brush her teeth and then had to sit there on the bed where she could see him until she was done. By the time she climbed into bed, Ted was already starting to regret his promise but when she snuggled up to him and held on tight, he couldn’t help but melt a little.

“Alright, Charlotte. I’m just going to keep talking until you fall asleep, okay? You don’t have to respond, just focus on my dulcet tones until they coax you off to sleep,” he told her, using his fingers to draw shapes on her exposed skin.

“That’s fine, Ted.”

And so he launched into a story about work, something stupid that Paul did. When that story ran out, he started another one, this time about Bill and then one with Mr. Davidson, one with Melissa. The sound of her laughter and giggles were the only thing keeping him going as the hours passed. Finally he looked down and found her sleeping peacefully. His bedside clock told him it was only 2:30 but if he fell asleep then his promise would be broken. So he kept talking. He started talking about her, telling no one in particular about how much he liked her and how stupid it was for him to be sitting up in the middle of the night, talking to the air because she was afraid.

His eyes hurt, his body was exhausted but every time he looked down at her and saw her peaceful smile as she clung to him, his chest filled with emotion. There was something about her, something he couldn’t put his finger on but he knew he wouldn’t be doing this for just anyone. He hadn’t felt like this about anyone, ever. He’d had plenty of girlfriends in his storied history but if any of them had told him to stay up because they were scared, he would have laughed in their face but here he was, _offering_ it to Charlotte.

The clock read 4:30 by the time the realization hit him.

_Was he in love with Charlotte?_

He sat there, eyes wide for twenty minutes as he let it sink in and a new horror, much different than Charlotte’s, took him over. He couldn’t be in love with Charlotte. Was he that stupid? She was a married woman. They were no strings attached. Falling in love was the exact opposite of no strings. He tried talking himself out of it but every time he looked down at her, he saw that sleepy smile and his heart swelled with emotion.

He told himself he only loved her if he could say it outloud. Otherwise, it was just his brain just playing tricks on him. So he tried. He could barely say her name as he stared at the dresser at the foot of his bed. There was no way. Falling in love was stupid. There was a reason he never let himself do it before and he wasn’t about to start now. Still when his eyes drifted down to her, he could feel it bubbling in the back of his throat.

“Ch-Charlotte, I-”

“Hmm? Sam?”

Ted’s mouth snapped shut as she started to rouse from her slumber. It felt like a dagger striking through his heart to hear that name come out of her mouth after the night he’d had.

“No, Charlotte, it’s just Ted,” he told her with a tired sigh.

“Did you really stay up all night?” she asked, rubbing her eyes as she looked up at him. “Oh, Teddy, you didn’t have to do that. I was just messing with you for making me watch that stupid movie.”

“Y-Yeah, well, I guess I’ll just call out of work today,” he shrugged, trying to ignore the churning in his stomach at her nickname for him.

“Oh, Teddy…”

This woman was going to be the death of him.


End file.
